Try coating plaice in crème fraîche before grilling it. This protects it and gives it a creamy coating. In truth it only needs a squeeze of orange or lemon, but I added this sauce for a bit of easy luxury.
Serves 4
4 large double fillets of plaice, skin on and trimmed
2 tbsp crème fraîche
a drizzle of melted butter, plus extra for greasing
For the butter sauce:
50ml olive oil
4 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
100g butter, diced
a few baby plum tomatoes, halved
a squeeze of orange
a good pinch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the garlic and
cook it gently just until it’s evenly golden brown. Add the butter and let it bubble
up, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the tomatoes to soften, then add the
orange juice and parsley. Set aside until the fish is ready.
Preheat the grill to high.
Put the plaice on a lightly buttered grill tray, skin side down. Brush the fish evenly
and liberally with the crème fraîche, then drizzle over the melted butter. Put under
the grill for 5–6 minutes, until cooked through (this depends on the thickness of
the fish).
Warm the sauce for 30 seconds.
Serve the fish on heated plates and spoon the sauce over the top. I like to eat this with boiled potatoes and green veg, tomatoes or salad, depending on the time of year.
